Throttle control mechanism



May 6, 1947. D. THosTENsON THROTTLE CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed April l5, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L E w/s 0. TH o5 TEA/50N FOR THE FIRM May 6, 1947A.

l., D. Tl-los'rEN'soNv THROTTLE CONTROL MECHAISM 2 Sheets-Shet 2 Original Filed April 13, 1943 L E w/s D. 7H o5 TEA/s ov/v FGF THE FIRM vPatented May 6, 1947 riinor'rrn coN'raoL MnormNrsM Lewis D. Thostenson, Inglewood, Calif., assignor to Salsbury Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Original application April 13, 1943, Serial No. 482,865. Divided and this application May 28,

1945, Serial No. 596,2

2 Claims.

This application is -a-division of my copending application, Serial No. 482,865, filed April 13, 1943, entitled Turret truck.

My invention relates te industrial trucks such as those used to transport moderate loads over vcomparatively short distances, as, for example, from one location in a Warehouse or factory to another. An object of the invention is to provide such a truck which has great maneuverability so that it can be used in places crowded with merchandise, machine parts, or other materials.

A further object is to provide such a truck which may be driven and controlled with great facility.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

1 is an elevation, partly in section, through `the turret containing the driving mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the lower portion of the turret with some of the upper parts omitted;

Fig, 8 is a vertical section through the gas tank fand gas control mechanism.

1n all forms of trucks, a driving mechanism such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and details vlof which are shown in Fig. 3, is used. This driving mechanism includes an internal combustion ,engine i, which drives a driving wheel 2 through suitable mechanism. The driving mechanism is 'carried on a circular ring 3 which is free to roltate inside a frame il. The entire engine with its fuel tank and all controls is carried on the ring 3 so that the driving mechanism can turn freely about an axis 8 5 which is perpendicular to the surface upon which the truck runs, so that the driving mechanism can push or pull the frame d in any direction at right angles to the axis 8 8. The direction of pull may be changed by turning the driving mechanism about the axis 8 8, so that without reversing the direction of rotation of the engine the frame can be pulled forward or backward or in any other horizontal direction.

The transmission mechanism which is shown consists of a driving pulley I on the engine shaft ii, the driving pulley H3 driving a driven pulley i2 through a V-belt I3. This transmission is similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,260,798, issued on October 28, 1941, and contains an automatic clutch as described in said patent which is disconnected as long as the engine is running at idling, or below a certain critical, speed, but which automatically engages so that the shaft II drives the pulley I6 only above this critical speed. A starting lever Ill pivoted at I and carrying a gear I8 which engages a pinion I'I on the engine shaft II is used to start the internal combustion engine I. The pinion il has a ratchet clutch, so that after the engine is started by the pinion 'il the engine can rotate freely without driving the pinion Il. Such starting devices for internal combustion engines are in common use, and many internal combustion engines now on the market include such a starter. The pulleys IE) and I2 are of variable diameter, as explained in said Patent No. 2,260,798, and these diameters are Varied automatically, the diameter of the pulley i@ being increased and the diameter of the pulley I2 being decreased as the rotative speed of the wheel 2 and the surface speed of the truck increase, and vice versa. Thus, when the truck is moving at slow speeds, the transmission being in what is commonly called low gear, the engine i may turn 4N times as fast as the wheel 2, but as the vehicle speeds up, the pulley ratio changes gradually until the engine only turns N times as fast as the wheel 2. The transmission is then in high gear. This transmission is not my invention, is now in common use, and those who are interested in its construction or method of operation are respectively referred to the above patent. The pulley I2 drives a sprocket I8 which drives a sprocket I9 through a chain 20, and the sprocket I9 drives a sprocket 2|v which drives a sprocket 22 through a chain 23, the sprocket 22 being connected to the driving wheel 2.

All of the above mechanism is mounted 0n a suitable structure 3l] which is rigidly mounted on the circular member 3. This circular member 3 is guided horizontally by a plurality of small wheels 3I and vertically by small wheels y32 journalled in the frame Il so that the circular member 3 and the above described mechanism can be freely turned in the frame il about the axis 6. The wheels 3i and `32 are merely friction reducing members, and, obviously, other mechanically equivalent means may be substituted for them. The wheel 2 is journalled to the structure 30 and turns with it. Rigidly secured to the structure 30 is a tubular handwheel 33'by means of which the structure St may be turned about the axis 6-5 by the truck driver. A sheetiron casing 3i surrounds the engine and mechanism and is secured to the structure 3l] and turns with it. It will be obvious that the entire driving mechanism including the engine I and the wheel 2 may be turned by the handwheel 33 so that the Wheel 2 pulls the end of the frame in any direction about the axis 6-6.

The above described combination constitutes 58 down and thus applies'the brake.

3 the subject matter of my copending application of Serial No. 482,865, from which this application was divided.

Mounted above the engine I on the structure 30 is a gas tank 35, shown in Fig. 3, which is annular-in shapef'having a cylinder defining a central opening 35 extending therethrough. Gasoline from the tank 35 is delivered by gravityto a carburetor -31 mounted on and feeding fuel to the engine I. A novel arrangement of` partsV is provided by means of which the truck .driver may control the carburetor f31'to'regulate'the feed of fuel to the engine I. 'A light-Sweight gas control ring 43 is provided which is mounted above and slightly inside the handwhee133, where. it can be readily reached gby 4,the lngers of .the driver when he is grasping any part of the hand.. wheel 33. When the ring 40 is parallel to the handwheel 33, the carburetor 31 is set to feed only enough gasoline to the engine. I to enable the engine to run slightly below the critical speed at 'which' the 'centrifugal' clutch; 'not shownv vbut "included in the transmissionpengages. Ifthe "ring`40 is pushed'down, the amountof fuel fed to the engine is' increased. The mechanism by Vwhichthis is accomplished is shown inFig. 1 Sand Fig."3.

"The ring' 4B is carried by spokes' 4I on a hub 42. "Threaded'in the hub"2. is a pin 43l having a concavity`44 at its lower end. The pin is car' 'ried in a ball 45 secured zin a member y46 by a nut`41, the member-43 being rigidly secured to a plate`48 which is a part of the structure 30. The concavity 44 engages the end of a plunger 49 which can niovevertically in a tube' 5I) which is also secured to the 'structure'3- A compresvsion spring'l holds theA pin in its upper position,- as shown in Fig. 3. 'If 'the' ringV 40 is pushed down; the ring andthe spokes 4I, thehub 42, `andthe pin [i3V turn about a point central in the ball 45. The plunger '49 is connected to the carburetor by a rod 52 in such a manner that when 'this rod is forced downwardly, the supply of It is convenient to provide a'hand brake on the wheel" 2.so'that the voperator can brakeA this whe'el and prevent'it 'from pulling on the frame 4. 'Forthis purpose' I provide a'brake ringj55 acting as a brake lever Whch'may be'pivotedl as 4shown at 5S on the structure 35, so that it'can Y'turn about an axis parallel to Athe" axispof- `the `wheel'Z. VMounted on thel brake' ring'55 is a notched plate51^which engages a roller"58 carried on a lever 59' which is pivoted on the structure" 3i) at 60. The other end of this lever 59 is connected to a` brakei pull rod Eil'which is connect'ed to a brake lever 62 by which the brake, not "shown, 'is actuated. The brake 'may be internal-expanding, vor any "other well known formV of brake. When the brake ring 55 is either pushed down or pulled up into the positionshown at1 63 in'Fig. 1,'the notched plate 51 pushes the roller I.trifugal clutchis not engagedandnodriving force is applied tothe' wheel 2. He thengrasps` the handwheel 33 and turns the turret 66 so that the wheel 2 will pull or push the frame 4 in Whatever direction he wishes to go. If he then pushes down on the gas control ring 40, the supply of gasoline fed to the engine I by the carburetor 31 lis increased,.the engine speeds vup and the centrifugal clutch engages so that the wheel 2 is energized, and the truck starts. The driver can turn the turret 36 so that the frame is pulled in any direction about the axis 6 6. When he wishes to stop, he releases the gas control ring 4i]l and pulls upwardly or pushes downwardly on A the brake ring'55 to apply the brake.

Such a driving turret may be applied to many formsnof` truck bodies, such as that shown at 10 .in y.the :'drawings,xthis body being supplied with :tworearlwheels A foot brake operating on one or both rear wheels may be operated by either of two pedals 12. The pedal 12 is pivoted on the frame 4, as shown at 13, and is held in its upper position-by a compression spring, rnot shown.

When the pedal V12 is depressed, the brakes on the rear Wheels, which may be of-any well known typaare released by a push rod 15.

TheV principal advantage of this type of truck is that the wheel 2 can pull or push the body in any direction, which is determined by the position of the'turret 66. The operator, by using the handwheel-33, lcan turn the turret in any 'direction or from any position to any other position, since the mechanism inside the turret is entirely self-contained and not connectedexcept through the -wheelsl andi32'with the remainder of the truck.

The automatically shifting power transmission enables the truckto start heavy loads and pull such loads up ramps in low gear, and thegear shifts toward highwhen the truck is rolling, the gear ratio gradually changing automatically up or down to suitV changing load conditions. The truck thus' has yan automatic transmision, and no gear shift V-lever or4 other operator-controlled mechanism is necessary. l The centrifugal clutch ydoes away with a clutch pedal or other operator- Icontrolled mechanism. Whenthe gas control ring 12o-is depressed, the engine speeds up, the clutchvengagea and the truck starts. When pressureon Athe ring- 40 is released, `the gas is shut loft,- and as the truck and engine slow down,A the `clutchreleasesY and theengine I'idles. `Especially `importantis `the Vfact that steering by thehandvwheel 33, gas ycontrol by the ring 40, andbraking by `the-lever 55frare-readily laccessible-to the dri-ver A"65, Vwhatever his` position with relation to the turret 66.

'The notched plate 51- applies the brake/if it -is -rotatedin eitherdirectionabout the pivot 55 from `'its full position, asshown in -full linesgin Fig. 1. YIn f other words,y Ythe -frontwheel 1 brake -is applied byypushing the brake ring -55 down into the position 53 or 1 pulling it -upwardly `from itswcentral position.A This isan advantage as'when the driver has his footon the pedal 12, or is standing-he Vcan exert-force upwardly moreconvenientlythan downwardly.V Obviously, the Vdriverv need-not stand, and in Vsome embodiments of 'the' invention a seatmay be provided for him onthe bodyq- For shorthaul-'industrial purposes, a standingposition is most advantageous, as the driver canget Ion vand off quickly and can move and turn around easily to see where he is going.

I claim as my invention:

1. 'In a truck,` having a body and a turret turningfre'ely'about avertical axis, said turret'lbeing 'supported on a wheel rotating about a horizontal axis iixed in said turret, said wheel being driven from an engine xed in said turret, the combination with the above elements of: a steering wheel rigidly xed to said turret; a throttle control ring concentric with said steering wheel and suciently close thereto to be operable by the fingers of a hand grasping any portion of said steering wheel, said throttle control ring being attached to said turret by a central universal connection whereby it may be tilted in any direction about said connection; and means connecting said control ring to a throttle for said engine whereby control of said throttle may be eiected by tilting said control ring.

2. In a truck, having a body and a turret turning freely about a vertical axis, said turret being supported on a Wheel rotating about a horizontal axis xed in said turret, said Wheel being driven from an engine fixed in said turret, the combination with the above elements of a steering wheel rigidly xed to said turret; a throttle control ring concentric with said steering wheel and suciently closethereto to be operable by the ngers of a hand grasping any portion of said steering wheel, said throttle control ring being attached to said turret for tilting movement about an axis substantially parallel to the plane of the control ring; and means connecting said control ring to a throttle for said engine whereby control of said throttle may be eiected by tilting said control ring.

LEWIS D. THOSTENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the ille of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

